India’s 17-member squad for the two T20Is against Ireland later this month had several youngsters getting selected, some of whom did really well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The team will be led by Hardik Pandya and will be another opportunity for the Indian team management to zero in on the players who are likely to make it to the T20 World Cup, going to be held in Australia in October-November. However, one name that was missing from the squad was Rahul Tewatia.
Tewatia earned a reputation for being a great finisher for IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans with a couple of memorable knocks. Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar felt he should have been part of the Indian squad touring Ireland.
“Rahul Tewatia, the ice-man. Sometimes you feel if it’s such a touch-and-go situation maybe take an additional member. Instead of 15, take an additional member because it’s hard to leave somebody who has done so consistently well. He was superb. He had won matches, which looked lost. He went in there and smashed the ball around very intelligently, very cleverly. He was also able to play around the off-side not just on the on-side,” Sunil Gavaskar said during the fifth T20I between India and South Africa on Sunday which was abandoned due to rain.
“Somebody showing that kind of temperament, maybe add a 16th man and take him to Ireland. Just recognising what he has done. Just giving that message ‘you are on the fringe, just work a little bit harder’.”
Team India will play two T20Is on June 26th and 28th in Dublin.
India’s T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, RaviBishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
